Bleeder valve for the auxiliary reservoir of air-brake systems



w. T. HARRIS r AL BLBEDER VALVE FOR THE AUXILIARY RESEBVQIR OF AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS I Filed Dec. 4. 1925 Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STATES A 1,596,730 arent orr cs.

WILLIAM '1. HARRIS AND GEORGE L. BENNETT, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

BLEEDER VALVE FOR THE AUXILIARY RESERVOIR O13 AIR-BRAKE SYSTEMS.

Application filed December 4, 1925. Serial No. 73,208.

Our invention relates to a bleeder valve for the auxiliary reservoir of air brake systems.

The object of our invention is to devise a very simple, inexpensive, readily applied and durable valve mechanism which will operate without the use of springs or other means constantly tending to close the valve and will thus leave the valve free to be set in open position for bleeding the auxiliary reservoir without requiring it to be held in open position. Our invention contemplates that the cutting in again of the train line pressure will automatically close the bleeder valve.

The chief object of our invention is to reduce the valve design to the maximum simplicity to the end that it will be practical and simple of operation; that it will be durable; and that it will avoid delicate parts liable to get out of operation, such as springs and the like, and to this end our invention contemplates the utilization of a cylinder having a suitable end connection with the train line pressure and. a side connection to the auxiliary reservoir with a manually shiftable plunger valve therein adapted to control the air escape port and the port in communication with the auxiliary reservoir.

Our invention further contemplates the provision of packing rings about the cylinder to seal the train line against the leakage of auxiliary reservoir pressure thereinto when the valve is open and to provide an additional seal against the leakage of air from the auxiliary reservoir through the air escape port of the valve when the valve is closed.

Our invention further contemplates combining a packing ring with a positive acting valve to prevent leakage of pressure through the bleeder port of the valve.

Our invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which are hereinafter more particularly described and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate only the preferred embodiment of our invention, and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved bleeder valve.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of the'bleeder valve.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the air brake system of a railway car showing an auxiliary reservoir equipped with our improved type of bleeder valve.

Similar reference numerals refer to sim* ilar parts throughout the drawings.

According to the embodiment of our invention illustrated: in the drawings, 1 designates the train line of the air brake system of a railroad car, and 2 indicates the auxiliary reservoir having a triple valve 13 connected by the pipe 4; with the train line 1. The auxiliary reservoir isassociated with an air brake cylinder 5 in the usual manner and the parts as thus far described, being of standard construction, form no part of our present invention which is concerned with the mechanism for bleeding or relieving the pressure of the auxiliary reservoir after the train line has been cut.

The bleeder valve, in the preferred form illustrated, comprises a Valve body in the formwof a cylinder 6 having a port 7 at one end which is connected by a branch pipe 8 with the train line 1. The other end of the cylinder is closed by a cap 9 having a central port 10 provided at its inner end with a raised valve seat 11 which is adapted to'be engaged by a washer 12 surrounding the stem 13 of a plunger valve 14 which carries at least one packing ring 15 that will establish a pressure tight joint with the inner walls of the cylinder 6. The washer,when the plunger is in its outermost or valve closed position, will positively engage the seat 11 and seal the air exhaust or bleeder port 10. Atthe same time the packing ring 15 will be interposed between this port 10 and the'port 16 opening at an intermediate point in the side of the cylinder and connected to the auxiliary reservoir by a pipe 17 which is adapted to be screwed into the existing tapped hole in the side of the reservoir provided for the present bleeder valves. When thepiston is in inner or valve open position itspacking ring 15 will seal the connection betweenthe ports 16 and 7 and valve off the auxiliary reservoir pressure'from the train line.

Vi e mount a clamp bracket 18 about the cylinder 6, utilizing clamp'bolts 19 to hold the bracket in the desired position on the cylinder. On this bracket we .pivotally mount a lever 20 having a pivotal connection with a'clcvis 21 at the outer end of the plunger rod 13. e provide valve operat ing handles 22 and 23 which are so connected to the lever 20 that by pulling the rod that projects at either side of the car the plunger valve can be forced inwardly to' open the bleeder port.

In operation, assuming that the train line has been cut and that the bleeder valve is in its outermost or closed position, to open this valve and bleed the auxiliary reservoir it is only necessary for the trainman to pull the operating rod 22 or 23 which happens to be on the side of the car on which he stands, and this will set the valve in open position with the plunger in dotted line position at the inner end of the cylinder. Since the plungerwill remain in this position as long as the train line pressure is oil, it is unnecessary for the trainman to hold the valve open and thus he can operate the valves of a train of cars as fast as he can get to them and leave them set in open position, in which position they will permit the gradual reduction of the pressure in the auxiliary reservoirs until the car brakes are released. r, lVhen a car is again coupled in and the train line connected up, the train linepressure will establish itself at the inner end of the cylinder 6 and will move the plunger 1% outwardly, forcing the washer 12 against the seat 11 and interposing the packing ring 15 between the ports 16 and 10, thus doubly sealing the valve against I the leakage of pressure through the bleeder very simply and cheaply connected up to the auxiliary reservoir. and to the train line I pipe 4, it follows that our device can be installed with but little expense and when installed should, due to its extreme simplicity, be capable of rendering long and effective service. Any dust or foreign matter gaining access to the cylinder through the bleeder port 10 about the plunger rod 13 will be largely blown out with the escape of air when the valve is opened, and obviously it is a very simple matter to unscrew the valve cap 9 and clean out the cylinder 6 whenever this is necessary.

Though we have described with great particularity the details of the embodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construedthatwe are limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as-defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire. to secure by Letters Patent, is

' 1. In an air brake system comprising an auxiliary reservoir and a train line, a bleeder valve which comprises a cylindrical chamber connected atits inner end to the train line and at its side to the auxiliary reservoir and at its outer end to the atmosphere, and a plunger valve therein adapted to blank off the side connection and closethe outlet from the cylinder to the atmosphere when in its outermost position and when moved to its innermost position to establish communication between the'auxiliary reservoir connection and the outlet tothe atmosphere, and mechanism to move the valve to its innermost or open position. I

2. A bleeder valve according to claim 1, in which the plunger valve is provided with a packing ring disposed to assume position between the connections to said reservoir and the atmosphere when the valveis in its outermost or closed position, and to assume position between the connections to said reservoir and train line when the valve is in its innermost or open position.

A bleeder valve according to claim 1,, in which the connection to the atmosphere is a port in the outer: endof the cylinder, and the plunger valve has a stem which passes loosely through said port. l g

4:. In an air brake system comprising an auxiliary reservoir and a train line, a bleeder valve comprising a cylinder connected at its inner endto the train line and at its side to the auxiliary reservoir, a cap for the outer end of the cylinder having a central bleeder port, a plunger valve in the cylinder having a stem passing loosely through said port, a raised valve seat surrounding the inner end of said port, a washer on the plunger adapted to engage said seat and close -said port, a packing ring surrounding thelpiston valve and adapted to assume position between the auxiliary reservoir connection and said port when the valve is in its outer or closed po.- sition and to assume position between the connections tothe train line and auxiliary reservoir when the valve is in'its inner or open position, and leverage means acting on WILLIAM T. HARRIS. GEORGE L. BENNETT. 

